First day of Great Park's no-longer-free rides gets mixed reaction

Linda Morello walked off the Great Park's balloon with her thumb pointed straight up.

The ride had long been on the 71-year-old Orange resident's bucket list and she had her family, including granddaughter Drie Roberts, 13, by her side Thursday for the experience.

It was the first day the previously free rides for the balloon and carousel came with a price since Irvine's City Council voted 3-2 last month to charge fees to raise funds to host the U.S. Solar Decathlon event in October. The balloon costs about $1.1 million annually to operate and the carousel costs $235,664.

Now it costs $5 for children between six and 16 and $10 for adults to ride the balloon and $2 each for the carousel. The rides are open Thursday through Sunday.

"I think that's a little steep for a ride that's just going up and going down," said Hena Singh, 40, visiting the park from New Jersey with her Irvine cousins Venu and Rakhi Singh.

Among the people visiting the park from 11 a.m. to noon Thursday, some agreed with Singh, others thought the prices were worth it, including Morello.

But she joked that there should be a senior citizen discount. Would she be back?

"I've done it. Now I want to try something else," she said, perhaps, a hot-air balloon or Zipline.

For $20 total, Pam Heidebrink of Anaheim and her sons Ian, 13, and Evan, 11 rose 400 feet above the Great Park Thursday.

"It's nice to have a bird's eye view," she said, adding that she wants to come back for an evening ride. "The price won't hamper us."

Charging for the rides came with some kinks on the first day, namely because of a process that involved some people standing in line more than once.

After parking, arrows point to a white tent where individuals fill out a waiver to ride the balloon and get a pager that alerts them when their balloon trip is ready. But they don't pay at the tent. Once the pager goes off, riders are told to go to nearby Hangar 244 several feet away to pay. That's where the carousel tickets are sold, too.

Several people said it would have been easier to pay all at once.

"Do I have to pay $2 if he just sits?" said Jessica Sykora, 31, joking when she saw her 3-year-old son Roman sitting on one of the carousel's benches, his preferred seat, rather than one of the ornate saddled animals. From Mission Viejo, Sykora said she visits the park often and was there Thursday with Roman, her 1-year-old Lucas and friend Dana Townsend and her son Carter from Lake Forest.

"Every time we have friends or family visit, we bring them here," she said. But without out-of-towners or balloon first-timers like Townsend, she said she probably wouldn't visit the park as often now that there's a charge for the rides.

"The carousel is a little high, but the balloon is certainly reasonable," said. Mary McAdara. "It's a very short ride for $2," said her husband Fred as the two-minute long ride slowed down, slowing their grandchildren with it.

Sure, the rides were free last week, but this week their three Colorado grandchildren were in town so they visited the park for the first time, signing up for a spot on the balloon – two adults, three children including one younger than 5 for a grand total of $30. Their expected wait after they signed up Thursday at noon? One hour.

Lawson Dyess, 6, of Irvine holds boarding passes for the Great Park balloon on Thursday morning, the first day that the park started charging for rides.JEFF ANTENORE, FOR THE REGISTER
Great Park visitors board the Great Park balloon for a ride on Thursday morning, the first day that the park started charging for rides.JEFF ANTENORE, FOR THE REGISTER
Tim Enoch and his son Carter of Mission Viejo look out over the runways of the former El Toro Marine Base as they go for a ride on the Great Park balloon on Thursday.JEFF ANTENORE, FOR THE REGISTER
Laura Dyess of Irvine and her boys Connor, 8, and Lawson, 6, board the Great Park balloon on Thursday morning.JEFF ANTENORE, FOR THE REGISTER
Jan Hatter, her daughter Robin Yates, and grandkids Jameson, Landen, Ethan and Brookenah, all from Costa Mesa, exit the Great Park balloon after a ride on Thursday morning, the first day that the park started charging for rides.JEFF ANTENORE, FOR THE REGISTER
Dana Townsend rides the Great Park carousel with her son Carter, 2, right, and son's friend Roman Sykora, 3, at the park on Thursday morning. JEFF ANTENORE, FOR THE REGISTER
Gyan Singh of New Jersey holds his son Surya, 3, as they ride the Great Park balloon in Irvine on Thursday. JEFF ANTENORE, FOR THE REGISTER
Gyan Singh of New Jersey holds his son Surya, 3, as they ride the Great Park balloon in Irvine on Thursday. JEFF ANTENORE, FOR THE REGISTER

1 of

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.